FAQ:
What engineers need to know
What is the Energy Conservation Standards for Pumps?
The United States Department of Energy has set forth a new
standard for certain clean water commercial and industrial
pumps, requiring them to achieve a minimum energy rating.
These standards apply to equipment manufactured in, or
imported into, the United States beginning in January 2020.
The standard applies to five pump equipment classes:
• ESCC end suction close-coupled pump
• ESFM end suction frame mounted pump
• IL in-line close coupled and split coupled pumps
• RSV radially split, multistage, vertical, in-line casing
diffuser pump
• Submersible vertical turbine pump
What prompted the DOE to focus on pump efficiency?
With an estimated 20 percent or more of the electricity in
the United States consumed by commercial and industrial
water pumps, more efficient pumps will reduce the overall
demand for energy and thereby improve the security and
reliability of the nation’s energy system.
The new standard was developed under the auspices of the
U.S. Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA),
which details a variety of provisions designed to improve
energy efficiency. Part C of Title III establishes the “Energy
Conservation Program for Certain Industrial Equipment.”
The covered equipment includes electric motors, fans,
compressors and pumps. This provision was not acted upon
for pumps until 2011 when the DOE announced its intent to
develop Pump Energy Conservation Standards.
The standards are modeled after similar pump efficiency
regulations in the European Union. The DOE has estimated
25 percent of the poorest performing pumps will be
eliminated based on the new efficiency benchmarks.
When do the standards take effect?
The Energy Conservation Standards for Pumps goes into
effect on Jan. 27, 2020. Pump manufacturers were given four
years to comply.
What are the scope limitations of the standard?
• Clean water applications only
• BEP power input: 1-200 horsepower
• BEP flow rate: 25 GPM or greater
• BEP head: 459 feet or less
• Temperature: 14-248 degrees Fahrenheit
• Nominal speeds: 1800 and 3600 RPM
What pumps are outside of the DOE scope?
Double suction pumps, circulators and pool pumps, along
with the following:
• Non-clean water pump designs (API, ASME, slurry,
wastewater, etc.)
• Nuclear spec-controlled pumps
• Mil spec pumps
• Magnetic drive pumps
• Fire pumps
• Sanitary pumps (3-A Standard)
• Prime assist pumps
• Vertical turbines with bowl size greater than 6 inches
Are wholesalers and manufacturer’s representatives
prohibited from selling models in their inventory that do not
comply after the Jan. 27, 2020, deadline?
No, only manufacturers are prohibited from selling non-
compliant pumps and pump kits. Manufacturers, however,
can sell replacement parts for non-compliant pumps.
What happens if manufacturers keep selling non-
compliant pump models?
The DOE has the responsibility to enforce the rule. It relies
on interested parties to report non-compliance. The DOE
has the option to request samples from manufacturers, test
at a test lab of its choice and levy fines for violations.
How will pump efficiency be rated?
To rate the energy performance of pumps, the DOE
established a new metric, the pump energy index (PEI).
A value of PEI greater than 1.00 indicates the pump does
not comply with the energy conservation standard, while
a value less than 1.00 indicates the pump is more efficient
than the standard requires. A pump model is considered
compliant if its PEI rating is less than or equal to the adopted
standard. The DOE based its final rule on the test methods
recommended by the Hydraulic Institute and contained in its
“Methods for Rotodynamic Pump Efficiency Testing.”
 What is the difference between PEIVL and PEICL?
In establishing the PEI to rate the performance of pumps,
the DOE offered pump manufacturers methods to H
determine PEI for either constant load or variable load
equipment classes. PEICL applies to pumps sold without
variable speed controls; PEIVL applies to pumps sold with
variable speed controls.

Both PEICL and PEIVL describe the weighted average H100%

performance of the rated pump at specific load points,
normalized with respect to the performance of a minimally
compliant pump without controls. The standard requires
testing methods for both constant load and variable load 1 1 1
333 % 333 % 333 %
equipment classes, recognizing each has distinctly different
utilities to the consumer.

While the goal of the DOE’s initiative was to improve the Q25% Q50% Q75% Q100%
overall efficiency of pumps sold in the United States, it also Q
wanted to encourage the use of variable speed controls in Curves for constant load
variable load systems to maximize energy savings — thus the
reason why it utilizes two PEIs for a pump.

Flow-time profile and

reference control curve
Measurement H for variable load pumps
on actual unit

Σ [(Δ ) ]
i=N

( )
t
PER = t tot • P1,i Phyd = Pw • g •
Q100%
H100%
i =1 i 3600
PER P2,ref =
Phyd
PEI =
PERSTD ηpump ηpump (Q, ns ) H
=η
PERSTD
P2,ref
100%
motor
ηmotor (P2,ref )

What else do I need to know about PEI? 25%

• Pumps with trimmable impellers are rated using full
H100% 25% 25% 25%
impeller diameter only. For calculations with motors, 5
non-overloading motor horsepower is used. Q25% Q50% Q75% Q100% Q
• Multistage pump designs are rated based on three-stage
performance; vertical turbine pumps are rated based on Curves for variable load
nine stages, or the nearest number.

Multiple configurations can be rated:

Why are the PEIVL numbers so much lower than PEICL?
• Bare pump only (always constant load)
The PEIVL number is a power comparison against the
• Pump and motor (always constant load)
baseline pump, which is the same constant speed
• Pump, motor and variable speed drive (always calculation used in the PEICL number. This means that the
variable load) PEIVL numbers will always be much lower than a PEICL
number considering the reduced flow and head points used
What is required of manufacturers in the testing in the calculation for variable speed.
process?
A pump performance test must be used to determine PEI for If I select the pump with the lowest PEI, will my system
a bare pump. For extended pump product: achieve optimal efficiency?
• Motor and variable speed drive efficiency can be added That is not necessarily true. For pumps of different type
to the pump PEI via calculation using nominal motor and and different specific speeds, there are different baselines.
variable speed drive efficiency Be sure that you are comparing similar pumps and aren’t
making an apples-to-oranges comparison. The lowest PEIs
• Motor and variable speed drive efficiency can be added
are obtained from using pumps, motors and variable speed
to the pump PEI by testing complete pump, motor and
drives together.
variable speed drive (wire to water efficiency test). If this
is done, the manufacturer must specifically link rating to
motor and drive used for the test.
2
If I compare both the PEICL and PEIVL numbers between
pumps can I tell which one is a better choice?
Yes and no. Comparing the constant load and variable
load numbers is certainly better than looking at the PEIVL
numbers alone. Just be aware that PEICL data may not be
made available for every pump, meaning that it may not
have been tested or may not be compliant. If the numbers
are dramatically different and the pumps are similar then
you can be more comfortable with these comparisons. Just
remember that the efficiency of those pumps in your system
will be impacted by your load profile and how close you will
operate to best efficiency point.

How will I know a pump is compliant out of the box?

The DOE requires stamped pump nameplates to include
PEI. In addition, the Hydraulic Institute, working with industry
partners such as Xylem Bell & Gossett, have created an
Energy Rating (ER) metric based on the DOE’s PEI. An ER
label affixed to a pump ensures the pump has performed to
published performance data and has been tested to DOE
test standards.

What information is on an Energy Rating label?
The ER label is designed to clearly indicate the power
savings obtained from pump system upgrades and changes.
The HI Energy Rating is similar to the ENERGY STAR
program for household appliances. It provides estimated
annual power savings for a specific pump along with the
DOE-required PEI information. The label will include series,
model, number of poles and configuration — BP, bare pump;
PM, pump and motor; PD, pump, motor and drive.
Are there different ER labels for different pumps?
Yes. A Constant Load Bare Pump PEI Label — pump only:
Constant Load Pump and Motor PEI Label — pump and
motor combination; Variable Load, Motor and Drive PEI
Label — pump, motor and variable speed drive packages.
Tell me more about the HI Energy Rating program.
The HI Energy Rating Program is built on DOE regulations,
but is a separate energy rating system for bare pumps and
extended products. Products with the ER label are listed in a
database on the HI Energy Rating Portal, http://er.pumps.org/
ratings/search, searchable by manufacturer, model number
and rating ID listed on the hydraulic energy rating label
distributed with the pump. Pumps in the database meet DOE
energy conservation standards and have received third-party
lab certification in accordance with HI 40.7.”
Do any incentive programs exist for using energy-
efficient pumps?
Yes. The HI Energy Rating program has become an impetus
for public utilities and power companies to put in place pump
energy rebates as a way to encourage energy conservation.
In 2018, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) public utility in northern
California began offering rebates for pumps that exceed
the DOE’s PEI metric, requiring pumps to meet a .96 value.
The more stringent energy efficiency requirements of
utilities such as PG&E — and likely the first of many to do so —
underscore the need for specifying engineers to incorporate
energy rating tools in pump selection and system design.

How will I know a pump is compliant when making

selections via an online selection program, such as Bell &
Gossett’s ESP-Systemwize?
In addition to the HI ER database, Bell & Gossett has added
an energy efficiency rating box to each pump curve, which
automatically appears in the ESP-Systemwize program.

3
How will the use of ECM T-frame motors impact DOE PEI
and HI Energy Ratings?
The standard does not include motor efficiencies for ECM
motors. Pumps have to be tested with the specific motor.
Are other countries besides the U.S. and the European
Union enacting pump efficiency standards?
Natural Resources Canada is proposing to align definitions,
test methods and minimum energy performance standards
(MEPS) with the U.S. DOE regulation for the new product
category pumps, requiring a third-party verification mark on
products. These regulations also are targeted to take effect
on Jan. 27, 2020.
What are the expected environmental benefits of the
pump efficiency standard?
The DOE projects that energy savings could also produce
environmental benefits by reducing emissions of air pol-
lutants and greenhouse gases associated with electricity
production.
The DOE estimates the following cumulative emissions
reductions over a 30-year period:
• 16 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2)
• 73 thousand tons of methane (CH4)
• 12 thousand tons of sulfur dioxide (SO2)
• 23 thousand tons of nitrogen oxide (NOX)
• 0.22 thousand tons of nitrous oxide (N2O)
• 0.04 tons of Mercury (Hg)
Bell & Gossett is a trademark of Xylem Inc. or one of its subsidiaries.
© 2019 Xylem Inc. August 2019
The benefits are based on the following DOE estimated
pump life expectancies:
• End suction, close coupled pumps: 11-13 years
• End suction, frame mounted pumps: 20-23 years
• In-line pumps: 13-16 years
• Vertical multi-stage and turbine pumps: 10 years
Will the new efficiency standards affect other industry
standards?
Yes. ASHRAE Standard 90.1, Energy Standard for Buildings
Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, is currently being
updated to include verbiage requiring the use of DOE
compliant pumps. It is expected to be released by the
end of 2019.
Are there other pump-related efficiency standards
being considered by the DOE?
Yes. Efficiency standards for dedicated purpose pool
pumps will go into effect in July 2021. The DOE had begun
working on efficiency standards for circulator pumps, but
the proposal has not been implemented by the DOE. HI and
circulator pump manufacturers currently are creating an
Energy Rating label for circulators, similar to the ER program
for clean-water pumps.